Impact of hearing aid noise reduction algorithms on the speech-evoked auditory brainstem response

Sci Rep. 2020 Jul 1;10(1):10773. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66970-2.

Abstract

The purposes of this study are to investigate the neural representation of a speech stimulus in the auditory system of individuals with normal hearing (NH) and those with hearing aids (HAs) and to explore the impact of noise reduction algorithms (NR) on auditory brainstem response to complex sounds (cABR). Twenty NH individuals and 28 HA users completed puretone audiometry, the Korean version of the Hearing in Noise Test (K-HINT), and cABR. In 0 and +5 dB signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), the NH group was tested in /da/ only (quiet) and /da/ with white noise (WN) conditions while the HA group was tested in /da/ only, /da/ WN, /da/ WN NR ON, and /da/ WN NR OFF conditions. Significant differences were observed between /da/ only and /da/ WN conditions for F0 in both groups, but no SNR effect was observed for both groups. Findings of this study are consistent with previous literature that diminished cABR amplitudes indicate reduced representation of sounds in the auditory system. This is the first to examine the effect of a specific HA feature on cABR responses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Algorithms
  • Audiometry, Pure-Tone
  • Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem*
  • Hearing Aids*
  • Hearing Loss
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Noise
  • Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted*
  • Signal-To-Noise Ratio
  • Speech
  • Speech Perception / physiology
  • Young Adult